Instagram for Computer

Instagram is possibly the most popular social network not available for computer. It started as an iPhone app that allows users to share photos via the Instagram platform as well as through their social media (Facebook and Twitter). Users can use cool, fun and funky filters to add a level of ambiance to their snapshots. Instagram was developed that way to mimic the way your brain captures memories; and since you can’t borrow memories from your desktop computer, Instagram was developed to be exclusive to mobile devices.

With the recent addition of an Android enabled Instagram application the popularity of the network has skyrocketed. “Since the launch of its Android app, Instagram’s user base grew from 30 to 40 million. That’s over 1,000,000 new users a day”, says TechCrunch’s Matt Burns. Marketers are incorporating Instagram into business, and more and more people are wanting to know “How can I use Instagram on a Computer?”

Run the Instagram Program on PC

Updated 8/15/2012: A recently developed application called the Blue Stacks App Player will let you use Instagram or any other Android application on a PC. They just finished a version for the Mac.

You can use these other great websites in conjunction with Instagram to get a better experience, or in place of Instagram to view other people’s profiles and photos without joining Instagram yourself:

Followgram

If you want more followers on Instagram, Followgram is the way to go. With this program, you can create a button that lets people follow you right from the Web. You can place this on your website, blog or other online profiles. So anyone who meets you from some other network can then also follow you on Instagram. This makes it much easier to find people and to help them find you.

Pros:

Vanity URL web address

Share to non-Instagram users online

Get more followers

Instagrid

This service allows you to access all of your Instagram photos online, in a gallery-type fashion. You can view yoru collection as a grid (like a portfolio) or like a blog. You can also create a perma-link for your gallery (instagrid.me/username) and share it with others.

Pros:

Create a gallery based on a hastag

Share with people not using Instagram

Create an online space with all of your Instagram photos

Statigram

This one is my favorite. It allows you to do the most with your computer and your Instagram photos. You can comment, like and send messages to Instagram contacts. The only thing you cannot do is upload photos from your PC. Otherwise, you can use your web browser to manage nearly everything in your Instagram account.

WebStaGram

Webstagram is an option for web viewing of your Instagram photos. If you want to see your photos, share your photos, like and comment, follow and unfollow other users and more, you can do it all from Webstagram. It’s very similar to Staigram.

This one allows you to:

View photos of the people you follow

Like and Comment on photos

Follow and Unfollow other users

See your followers and following

Browse popular photos / tags / users

Get your RSS feeds

While I really like Webstagram, too, I find that more people seem to be using Statigram.

All of these programs are management tools for your Instagram app. Ultimately, you are still required to have the app on your Andriod mobile or iPhone device in order to take photos using Instagram and share them via these sites.

So how do you use Instagram on your computer?

Instagrille

The closest you can get right now to Instagram on your computer is Instagrille. This is a crisp, clean, well-designed desktop app from Pokki. I feel confident Instagram itself could not have created a better version of this desktop app for Instagram. Instagrille was developed as part of the SweetLabs Pokki app challenge. It won third place a $7,000 prize in the contest.

You must have an Instagram account already to use it as it will ask you to log in with your account after you sign up and install the app. This app basically lets you do everything your Instagram account does, except upload photos from your desktop.

Instagrille is currently compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8, with a version for Mac coming soon.

Web-Based Alternatives to Instagram Filters

What do you do if you don’t have an iPhone or Android phone to download the Instagram app? If you just like the cool look of the Instagram filters, there are some other options that you can use right on your computer. This is also an option if you want to use photos that are on your computer’s hard drive and get the ‘Instagram look’.

While it is not possible to use Instgram from your computer, there are some web-based alternatives that still allow you that Instagram-ish feel to your photos. Check out:

Pixlr-o-matic

Picplz

Phixr

Picnik

Lo-Fi

PicYou

PhotoShop

InstantRetro

Rollip

And more!

What is your favorite web-based photo editing software or app? Do you use Instagram on your computer with any of these apps/programs mentioned above?

Lisa Clark is a Social Media Consultant and writer with more than 12 years experience. She helps brands connect with their target audience online. You can see Lisa's work at Social Media Satisfied and book your own special media solutions, or contact her on Twitter.

Thanks for adding these apps to the mix Amit. There has been a large influx of 3rd party apps for Instagram since it started to become so popular, so there is definitely no shortage of options.

I would however like to point out that those tools are most definitely NOT “ruling the market these days”. Just as an example, Followgram.me (the first tool Lisa mentioned) has an Alexa ranking around 13,000 and 5,000 in the US. Statigr.am and Web.stagram.com are even more popular, both around 5,000 worldwide, and Instagrid is at 53,000. Meanwhile extragr.am (the first tool you mentioned) has an Alexa ranking of around 96,000 and 47,000 in the U.S., which actually makes it less popular than the very site you’re commenting on right now. Pinstagram is 63,000, and the last one is in the 300,000s. Every single app Lisa listed is ranked higher than every single app you listed, so it’s safe to say that those 3 are actually “rounding out the bottom”. I do however like Pinstagram, and I am going to bet that it will overtake Instagrid before November.

I am very curious to know where you got that those 3 were “the three main tools ruling the market these days” though. Are you the owner of Extragr.am? lol

Anyways, welcome to Social Media Sun! Stick around, and we will figure out together exactly who is leading the market in all kinds of things.

No problem guys, Followgram is actually the first Instagram support application that I used, and I have a lot of friends who have used it to grow their network on Instagram to outrageous proportions. If you ever need success stories, I think I know a few people lol.

That’s the catch Kaushalam, you cannot Take Pictures and upload them without a phone, so you need either an Apple Device or Android phone to sign up for Instagram. I think it’s to keep people from uploading other people’s pictures, and memes and stuff. I don’t see them ever adding the ability to upload from a computer, so you’ll need to borrow someone’s iPhone or Android phone to set up an account.

Easiest thing to do is if your phone has an SD card, take out the card and load your the pics you want to instagram on the card. Then simply upload them as you usually would. Otherwise, and perhaps easier although not as reliable, there are several wireless sync programs and a smart phone that does not have photo sync available is not a smart phone at all.

This article offers several resources and options for users that have several different needs. We’re not really addressing putting Pictures from a camera on a phone here, but using Instagram’s various features without a phone at all.

Hi Adam
“Updated 8/15/2012: A recently developed application called the Blue Stacks App Player will let you use Instagram or any other Android application on a PC” I have installed the program on my mac just not sure what to do next to add Instagram. Do you have any advice? Thanks Ric

Those options are actually just to get apps from Google Play, through the marketplace. I have personally never used Bluestacks. I suggest searching for a tutorial on YouTube, “How to install Instagram on PC with Blue Stack”

Try http://ilikeslide.com/
It’s a great service that helps to create slideshows from Instagram pics. You can filter pics by hashtags, locations or users.
Also the service is almost full-featured web app.

Instagram’s 2014 New Year’s resolution absolutely should be to make their site computer friendly and compatible. I can understand starting out in the smartphone market; but now that they’re established and almost a household name it would be foolish of them to ignore the facts that some people would rather use their site and the internet in general from their desktops and laptops rather than a phone;not to mention that some people have phones but not computers and other computers but not phones.
A phone is handy and convenient when on the move; but when we sit down, relax and chill at home or wherever the desktop/laptop is likely to be our weapon of choice. So Instagram needs to get with the program and make the site and network PC friendly. They’re hurting themselves by making people have to find 3rd party apps and programs to use their site from a computer.

I think it’s so cool that you can add effects and text to your pictures. This is going to do wonders for individuals and businesses looking to gain an online presence. Also, the new chat feature just seals re deal for me

I have not ever try to use this apps, but tried Instagress. It works much more slowly than it was promised, besides that it has quite much costs. I found more effective solution. fast-unfollow.com can do 5000 unfollows a day, unlike Instagress which does 500 a day only. I was surprised that on fast-unfollow.com lower prices than on Instagress, besides I got first 1000 unfollows for free.

On my part, SChedugram and Zengram is the best choice if your are going to gain success, have awesome analytics and real, active followers.It’s not rocket science – all you need is a thought-out strategy, tested 3d party apps and a pinch of luck